Claudine
by Hallow Avengence
Summary: Claudine. Lauren. Danny. "She was beautiful; she’d given up trying to deny it." Claudine/Lauren.
1. Chapter 1

He pushed her aside. Again. Claudine was getting sick of it. She had stood in front of him, offering herself to him like she was some cheap tart.

But then when it came to Danny she was. She just needed to know she could have him, control him. Like she'd done with so many others.

She'd get bored with him eventually. She always did and then Lauren could have him.

Lauren. She was always in the way. Before she came along Danny was hers – well almost. Before she came along she had been the best singer. Before she came along Lola had idolised her, and only her.

But then she had stumbled in, clutching her books to her chest, bright eyed, full lipped and beautiful.

She _was _beautiful; she'd given up trying to deny it. Lost count of the amount of times she'd wanted to reach out and rap one of her loose red curls round her finger. Lost count of the amount of times she'd woken up, slick with sweat, not dreaming about Danny but instead his girlfriend.

But she didn't like to think about it too much. After all she was shallow.

It was just so much easier that way.


	2. Chapter 2

There was this one night she had nearly kissed her. She'd come so tantalizingly close to pressing their lips together, that her taste buds still ached from Lauren's promised taste.

It had been a Friday night – or a Saturday morning. All the gang had been at a party, drinking and flirting. Slowly they'd drifted apart, each going their separate ways. Lola with this guy she'd been fawning over all evening, Danny shuffling over to the bar in search of a 'mike' and Jez and BB creeping over to a corner, to causally brush their hands together over the sticky table top.

The warm beer she had been drinking all night had curdled in her throat and frayed the edge of her vision, so Claudine went home. For once choosing bed, over a fumbled grope in some foul smelling alley. She let herself in quietly, trying not to wake Mrs Troy, and wandered into the kitchen.

Lauren stood lent against the sideboard, facing slightly away from her. Her head titled, exposing the soft creamy flesh of her neck. Claudine swallowed.

Stepping closer she made a small noise in her throat and Lauren turned round abruptly.

"Claudine." Her face was the same smooth colour as her neck, all her thick eye makeup having rubbed away long ago.

It seemed such a cliché. But to Claudine she was more beautiful and more…real than ever. Unlike most of the girls at Britannia High Lauren wasn't a stick insect. It now made her stomach churn when she thought of how she'd played that against her, till she had practically starved her self thin.

Instead Lauren was soft and curvy, but in the right places; Claudine had looked when she'd changed. She blushed at the thought.

"I thought you were still at the club." She managed to force out.

Lauren shrugged. "I came home. We've got a dance rehearsal at 8 tomorrow." There was pregnant pause and both girls looked uncomfortable. "I thought you'd still be there."

"Nah, like you said early start. Especially if you want to use the shower before the boys clogging it up with…well..." They shared a smile and Claudine took step closer.

"You're getting better you know…at dance." She murmured softly, surprising herself.

For a second Lauren looked confused at the unexpected compliment, but then she smiled. "Thanks. It's hard when you have two left feet." Again they trailed into silence. Both aware that this is the closest they'd ever been to have a friendly conversation.

But then on impluse Claudine had moved closer, only stopping when she could felt the heat radiating off of Lauren. She raised a hand up, reaching to touch the curve of Lauren's jaw, which looked so soft, like her fingers would simply skate over the surface of her.

She wanted Lauren. Not Danny. She'd been fooling herself the whole time. Pent up longing and denial pumped arousal through her and she lent forward till their bodies were flush against one another.

But then Lauren let out a breath and Claudine had realised what she was doing. She'd stepped back quickly, like she had been scorched. Lost for an excuse, embarrassment flushing her cheeks and burning her throat.

"Night." She'd spat at her, and then she fled up the stairs, only looking back once she was out of sight to find Lauren staring at the spot she had just occupied, her lips parted slightly, her face flushed and her eyes widened in fear.

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	3. Chapter 3

The silence that settled between them in the next few weeks was choking. Claudine found she could no longer meet Lauren's eyes anymore.

And then Danny dumped Lauren – for her. Just let her go, all because she fluttered her eyelashes and spilled her desperate little tale of loneliness.

…He kissed her. By the time she realised it was a horrible mistake, her hands were woven into his hair and she was mewling.

Because she was pathetic and lost; because the look on Lauren's face that night scared the shit out of her.

But that was almost fine, she could deal.

What she couldn't deal with was Jez cornering her outside her room, pinning her with such a look of heartfelt concern, tears threatens to split down her cheeks. How easy it would be to spill her dirty little secret to him and bury her face in the wool of one of his close fitting jumpers.

"Claudine. Can I have a word?"

"Sure."  
"It's about you and Danny." Claudine began to nod; after all it was familiar ground, _only… _"And Lauren."

She froze. "Lauren?"

"Yes." He caught Claudine's look of mocking innocence and shook his head. "Don't. She needs to know."

"About what?"

"The fact you can't keep your eyes off her."

Claudine laughed but it sounded unnaturally high and forced. "Don't be stupid, Jez. I'm dating Danny."

He cocked his head. "_Which of course_ means you can't keep giving Lauren those appreciative little glances. And has _nothing_ to do the fact you can't meet her eyes, or the reason you serve everything you say to her with an extra helping of bitchiness."

_Was she really that easy to read?_

Claudine tried for outright denial, but '_no'_ got stuck in her throat.

"Got it all worked out haven't you, Jez. Had a nice time chatting it over with BB and Lola – deciding what was _best_?" She snorted. "One gay to another? Well sorry – I don't feel like a heart to heart."

She tired to push past him, but his large hands stopped her, falling heavily on her shoulders.

"I just thought I should-"

"Oh, I'm sure you did. But I don't need your thoughts or your concern. So keep your nose out."

She pushed away from him, pressing her back against the door and falling through. It closed with a resounding _crack_ behind her.


End file.
